Details about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival series are about as rare as a vampire with a soul, but a few more kernels of intel just came through in a new casting announcement. The new slayer, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Skeleton Crew, pictured above), is described in a single phrase—but it’s enough to tell us she’s quite different from Buffy.
Armstrong plays “an introverted high-school student named Nova,” according to Deadline. Her crush (probably unworthy, if slayer taste is passed down along with fighting skill) is a fellow names Carson, who will be played by Kingston Vernes. He’s “a Junior Olympian and popular student at New Sunnydale Academy” who notices Nova “after a life-changing event.”
A jock? Our girl has a crush on a jock? My commentary about slayer taste in boys stands.
The words “New Sunnydale Academy” raise more some questions. Sunnydale fell into the earth. Did they just rebuild the whole town on so much demonic landfill? That would explain a certain amount of supernatural activity, I suppose. But also: Academy? Is it a private school? Does it have enough books? I mean, of the right sort?
Anyway. Vernes has had a few roles in film and TV, including in The Survivor and So Cold the River. He joins previously announced series regulars Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso, and Jack Cutmore-Scott. Notably, no details about their characters have been forthcoming. Sarah Michelle Gellar is a producer on the series and will appear as Buffy.
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) is directing the pilot episode, which is written by showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. Hulu has so far only ordered a pilot, but Deadline notes that “a writers room is opening to work on additional scripts, with a March start eyed if the pilot is picked up to series.”
Cross your fingers and toes, and give Mr. Pointy a kiss for good luck.
